24 Mar 2026

The Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education is expected to spend P145 million on major restoration works at Nata Senior Secondary School during the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

Minister Nono Kgafela-Mokoka informed Parliament on Monday that the ministry intended to tackle both the infrastructure damage caused by fire and the general dilapidation of the aging facility. 

Minister Kgafela-Mokoka said the planned works included the reconstruction of burnt hostels, refurbishment of mechanical and electrical installations as well as installation of a desalination system to address hard water issues currently affecting the school’s hot water supply.

She added that to address the school’s damaged state, about P40 million would be required to restore functionality to the hostels gutted by fire which provided housing for 900 learners as well as P105 million to cover the extensive wear and tear and also replace aging assets across the campus.

Minister Kgafela-Mokoka acknowledged that maintenance at the school was overdue. She attributed previous delays to a combination of national financial constraints and a major setback during the planning phase, when a fire destroyed the hostels just as maintenance was being organised.

“Plans had previously been made, but they never saw the light of day due to unforeseen circumstances,” the minister explained, noting that the fire had altered the scope and cost of the required work.

Member of Parliament for Chobe, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga, had sought clarity on the progress of maintenance, the total value of the damages incurred and a timeline for when operations at Nata SSS would return to normal. BOPA